Styles: Freak-folk, american primitive guitar, post-rock, instrumental, acoustic improvSimilarities: The spiritual lyricism of Ben Chazny mixed with the stark brutalism of M.Gira. James Blackwell camping in a lo-fi cave. A doomcore John Fahey.

Decay/Swarmsis comprised of two guitar compositions recorded in single long takes. Both pieces are in an alternate tuning, and both explore various finger-picking patterns and musical styles, documenting durational guitar playing that changes speed and mood as the player cycles through emotion, fatigue, silence, tactile intimacy, and sudden improvisation.

The second piece, “Swarms” is dedicated to the late Ana-Maria Avram. It is inspired by her music, and in its later moments reinterprets her composition “Swarms for string orchestra”.

Two ecstatically mind-bending free-improv face-melters and esoteric soul-healers from RAIC (the Richmond Avant Improv Collective)—which features members of the category-4 noise-rock hurricane, Among the Rocks and Roots—in one 2-disc set.

RAIC is the Richmond Avant Improv Collective. Founded in Richmond, VA. in September 2015 the collective has turned into a group featuring founders Samuel Goff and Abdul Hakim-Bilal. The group expanded in late 2016 adding Erik Schroeder and Zoe Olivia Kinney. Laura Marina rounds out the group joining in early 2018. The group has remained active playing shows in the Richmond area and has recorded 4 full length albums with the first “Lovers Never Leave” appearing in March, 2017 on Pennsylvania’s Orb Tapes. “Love Lingers Like Poison In The Veins” followed in November 2017. The group plays multiple genres including avant garde, jazz, noise, post rock, classical, black metal, free jazz, film scores, etc. All of their performances whether live or in the studio are improvisational in nature sometimes structured based on mood or emotion and sometimes not. RAIC has been busy, simultaneously recording 4 albums the first of which “Symbiosis” will be released in April on Chicago’s Lurker Bias label. The other 3 albums “Gestalt”, “Multiplicity” and an unnamed film score album will be finished by summer 2018.

We’re honored to issue Toronto experimental guitar and electronics artist, Beard Closet‘s wordless (but not silent) scream of rage and frustration at the continuing culture of murder and brutality in North America’s police forces.

The culmination of years of time spent in the studio, BABEL presents four complete albums released on two 2xCD sets. The four volumes of kosmische drones and noise-jazz improvisation explore similar themes but follow divergent psychedelic paths to adjacent destinations. The four-disc cycle forms a cohesive whole while each volume stands own as a thematically contained album.

Eschaton is a soulful noise duet comprising Aaron Hutchinson and Connor Bennett. Based in Hamilton, Ontario, their music is driven by spontaneity and a passion for improvisation. Thick textural noise contrasted with vulnerable horn expressions, Eschaton creates narrative soundscapes that breathe, bend, and distort. They have released cassettes and lathes on Hamilton labels HAVNrecords and PERDU. Eschaton is happiest when collaborating with friends. Recorded and mixed by Matt Tavares (or BabdBadNotGood) at STUDIO69 in Toronto, ON

Guelph, Ontario-based master guitarist M. Mucci has graciously agreed to let us reissue two of his out-of-print cassette albums on one C70 volume. Both The Secret is Knowing When to Close Your Eyes and Midnights are featured here in their entirely, the former with previously unreleased bonus material included. Mucci is one of the most exciting instrumental guitarists working today and we’re deeply honoured to be able to make these titles available in a physical format once again.